Tasting menu prices in Bay Area

Over the years, I've been to many high-end restaurants with tasting menus for special occasions, and why the price has always been steep (usually around ~$100-150/pp before wine), it seems to have risen quite dramatically in the last year or so with many places getting close to the $200/pp mark. It seems to be that whenever a restaurant gains a Michelin star (particularly for their second/third), they raise their prices significantly, such as with Meadowood, Saison, Benu, Atelier Crenn. I've only gone over the $200/pp threshold once at the French Laundry, which I considered a once-in-a-lifetime type of experience, but I just can't imagine how a many of these restaurants that are a lot less established can command these kind of prices. Is the economy just getting that much better?

It's kind of disheartening since there's so many restaurants I would like to try, but since we only get to go out to these type of places a few times a year for anniversary/birthdays, by the time we get to the next place on the list the price has gone up quite significantly.

This incredibly rich beverage is anything but your nana’s hot cocoa. Incorporating tahini into this dairy-free hot chocolate adds a decadent layer of warming nuttiness that’s a perfect partner to the robust flavors of cocoa and vanilla.